Cannabis Clones vs Seeds – Definitions and Differences

New cannabis growers and home-growing enthusiasts often wonder what is the best and fastest way to cultivate successful cannabis for both recreational and medical uses. There are two options – seeds and clones – and not everyone knows the difference between growing them.

Both seeds and clones have their benefits and disadvantages, making the decisions personal and based on many factors. The cannabis seed and marijuana clone are used for growing marijuana. Both of them can be planted and grown into mature, flowering cannabis plants.

Weed Clones vs Seeds

Cannabis seeds are basic seeds from a cannabis plant. Like any other marijuana, female cannabis plants produce seeds that feature a variation of their own genetics. These ovular, peppercorn-sized seeds can be planted and grown into fully mature marijuana plants.

Cannabis clones are cuttings from a live cannabis plant, and they are also known as the clone's mother plant. Cloning marijuana means plants have the same genetics as their mother plant, and that gives them their name. With skills and expertise, growers can cultivate a fully mature cannabis plant with the exact same genetics as its mother plant.

Phenotype Weed vs Genotype

Genotype is the genetic composition of the cannabis plant. It defines the type of growth. The weed genotype allows the plant to show a range of various growth possibilities. However, if growers want the plant to express its specific characteristics and features, they need to control the environment of growing cannabis indoors (humidity, temperature, and light are the key ones).

Phenotype means the physical expression of a genotype. Put simply, it defines the traits that the indoor or outdoor environment pulls out from the plant's genetics. The environment you create for the plant can affect plant properties such as color, shape, smell, and resin production.

Growing Marijuana from Seeds | Overview

If you wonder how to grow weed from seed, you should first learn that there are two types of seeds you can find on the market: stable and unstable. A stable seed means the strain lineage will always have the same qualities. The grower usually starts from both a male and female plant and breeds them until the specific plant characteristics are stabilized in the weed. Harvesting cannabis seeds will grow plants that have most of the desired characteristics with a few genetic variations.

Unstable seeds grow into weeds that often produce plants more quickly. However, there is no stability and consistency in their genetics and the quality of their harvests. Although some still prefer unstable seeds for some reason, the plants that grow from these types of weed seeds are usually not reputable strains. 

Read Also: F1, F2, S1 Hybrid Marijuana Seeds: Guide for Beginners

Benefits of Growing Cannabis from Seeds

When planting a marijuana seed, you can expect a long, sturdy taproot. These roots offer support to younger seedlings, which makes them sturdier than clones. 

It is almost impossible to infect your plants with diseases and pests when you grow cannabis from seeds. These are usually transmitted from a mother plant.

Seeds allow cultivators to enjoy a range of phenotypic variations. Every seed you germinate and grow has a chance to grow into the next famous strain.

Cloning Cannabis | Overview

Growing weed from seeds is used for several reasons. One of the key ones is that it is the fastest method to grow cannabis. The cannabis clone is already germinated and just needs to take root. Growing cloning weed plants fast also means reduced costs and more sales. 

Using clones means growers can have a clear idea of what plant will grow. Cannabis grown from clones is predictable in the quality of the bud it produces. In order to grow the weed from clones, cultivators need to cut a clone and then slice the bottom of the branch at a 45-degree angle. 

Then they have to dip the cut into a cloning solution. The last step is to place the clone into a rock wool cube. The humidity levels are essential, so keep the clone under a humidity tray and wait for its root system to grow out of the bottom. This is the place where cultivators should transplant the clone into a larger pot, which is the same process as with any other cannabis. Growers can also start cloning autoflowers for better and faster yield. 

Benefits of Growing Marijuana from Clones

As we mentioned, growing weed from clones is fast. Fast means cost-effective, so clones are usually used for sale. Another reason to choose to grow cannabis from clones is that some flowered plants can have high resistance to pests and diseases. 

Cloning a plant also has several cons that should be considered. Cannabis from seeds is able to adapt to environmental changes, meaning each generation becomes stronger and more flexible. Cloned plants are the same as their parent plants, so they cannot change their genetics in order to adapt to changes in growing conditions.

In addition, the weed grown from clones usually offers a smaller harvest compared to those grown from seeds. Clones are much weaker plants and have a root system that doesn't grow as strong as weeds from seeds.

Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Grow Marijuana – Stages of Growth

Growing Clones vs Seeds

There are many pros and cons for both seeds and clones. Seeds are considered the best option for new growers and home cultivators because they are easier to grow and they produce stronger strains. Clones are better for those who are going to sell cannabis and want to always have predictable results. 

Pros of Growing Clones

1. Always Know What You Are Getting

   Clones are a genetic match to the mother plant, meaning you can pick out which plants you want to clone. Although this also means the clone can get low resistance to diseases and pests, choosing a healthy and strong weed can help avoid this. 

2. Saving Tim

   Growing clones means you can save time you would otherwise spend waiting for the seeds to germinate. 

3. Grows Faster

   Clones also grow twice faster than seeds as they have a head start. This also offers faster harvest. 

4. Always Females

   In contrast to seeds, marijuana cloning happens from female plants, and the clones' female gender is always guaranteed. That is because clones are cuttings taken from a female cannabis plant, and clones are the exact copy of the mother plant

Pros of Growing Seeds

1. Seeds Are Easier to Grow

   Seeds are extremely popular today. With the growing popularity and legalization of growing weed at home, cultivators can also find seeds that are suitable for inexperienced ones and according to any of their personal needs. There are many online seed banks to buy weed seeds, making the search and growth easier. 

2. Plants Resistant to Stress

   One of the key benefits of growing cannabis from seeds is that when the male plants have been discarded, the female ones have become sturdy and highly stress-resistant. 

3. Strains Have Their Entire Lineage

   When you grow seeds, a phenotype is chosen, and its 'reversed' is used to create a new generation of plants. Seeds allow cultivators to choose what features of the strain to keep and strengthen during the vegetative stage. 

4. Ability to Create Hybrids

   Seeds can be used to create unique hybrids. This is especially vital for recreational cultivators looking for something new.